A Hard-Fought but Narrow Defeat, and Farewell to Kotaru

We pushed St George City all the way on Saturday night but came away empty-handed after a tight 1-0 result at Penshurst Park in Round 26. While the defeat stings, we hold our heads high knowing we fought hard in tough conditions, and we remain focused on the task ahead.

The only goal of the game came early in the second half, when former Scottish international Marc McNulty finished a well-timed through ball. That was the difference on a night where the elements made it difficult for both sides to play free-flowing football.

We nearly struck early, with a great cross from Tye McGowan in the 8th minute finding Matt Moric in the box, whose diagonal volley went just wide.

Then came the rain. With gale-force winds and heavy downpour hitting around the 15-minute mark, it became a battle against both opponent and nature. Though the rain eventually cleared, the wind made every ball in the air a challenge.

In the 17th minute, Goncalo Agrelos had a decent chance for the hosts, but his effort sailed just over. From there, both sides dug in, and the first half closed out without any clear chances as we defended strongly and worked hard through the midfield.

The second half opened with the deciding moment – a neat ball from Lewis Miccio played McNulty through in the 50th, and he made no mistake.

Just minutes later, St George had a chance to double their lead through Jesse Photi, but his shot went across the face of goal. We responded soon after – in the 63rd minute, Tye McGowan found himself on the end of a bouncing ball and struck it well, but it flew just over the bar.

Our keeper Danijel Nizic stayed sharp as always, denying McNulty from distance in the 66th minute, and we continued to press for an equaliser.

In the final stages, we threw everything forward. Two late corners saw us send everyone up – including Danijel – and it was our keeper who came closest to levelling, rising high and heading towards goal, only for the effort to be cleared off the line. It would have been something special.

Despite the result, we’re proud of the way we approached the game and the fight we showed across the 90 minutes. Our coach, Steve Zoric, shared his thoughts after the final whistle:

“It was a hard game and I was happy with some patches of play when we moved the ball quickly. We probably should have done better in the first half, especially in good areas around the box, and better in the front third in the last 25 minutes or so. All four remaining games for us are now grand finals. We need to pick up points, but we can only worry about ourselves.” Steve Zoric.

Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to Kotaru Katsuta, who played his final game for us this weekend. He returns home to Japan for family reasons and leaves with our respect, gratitude and best wishes. Kotaro has been a valued part of our squad and we’ll miss his energy and professionalism both on and off the pitch.

We go again next week against Sydney FC, with belief, unity, and fire in the belly. We’re in this together. Let’s finish strong.

NPL Men's NSW Round 26 Highlights – St George City v Sutherland SharksWatch on YouTube